Chez

did you come up with that yourself, as it made me smile.

very very good point. All we can hope for right now is that players like Hojbjerg begin to find their feet (again) and we see improvement from the other young players we are waiting on. One thing RK (or the transfer committee) ensured was that the transition from Lambert, Lovren, Shaw and Lallana to the next batch was a little easier by bringing in slightly more senior players in Pelle and Tadic that hit the ground running. Mind you we did the same with Classie and that hasn't worked as well.

I simply cant see anyone in the Prem paying £20m for a player LFC signed for £18m and then not exactly covered himself in glory since. Just that sentance "Liverpool value him at £20m" reads like a desperate advert.

how exactly do we move further up the football pyramid without someone buying the club and spending, not investing, spending their millions, billions even?

Good. We have an owner that after allowing the club spend to get into the Prem and stay there is trying to get the club to balance the books rather than build up more debt and that is fine by me. Whilst we are in the Prem there is plenty of money to spend. Blaming the owner for not spending more of her own money on top of that income doesn't cut it with me. The key is to spend (what we bring in) better. On the whole we have tried to do that, but at this current moment some of the recent signings and some of the young players coming through are not performing to the desired levels. Put simply, I don't have a problem with her failing to spend her money to make your dreams come true.

i don't recall many saints fans overly enjoying the last two seasons in the championship before we went down or seeing the likes of Bale, Walcott, Jones and Baird **** off. It was great when we had shed load of money to outspend the rest and won pretty much every week.

Hard to argue with that right now. Could he become any more than that?

Again, poor first touch? Behave.

maybe a cup run every few seasons?

Behave. The idea he cant pass is ridiculous.

not saying much though is it? I've seen very little to convince me he (Classie) can control or dominate a midfield in any way. Most games he is a passenger. For me he is one of our biggest problems as we get murdered in midfield by the decent sides when once we won that space. He is not up to it and I don't think he ever will be. Hojbjerg has been equally poor. In some of the European games for example he has given the ball away more than any Saints midfielder I have ever seen. That doesn't mean JWP is the answer, but I am just trying to offer some balance to this ugly thread. I was one of the first to question JWP on here as I saw a player that never got anywhere near an opponent to place them under pressure, something that is crucial in the modern game. He might be seen as the polar opposite of Morgan and Wanyama in that regard, failing to cut out a single pass or make any meaningful contribution defensively for the last few seasons. However, what I have seen this season is more urgency in this area, sharper to the second ball, a bit more physicality (all be it from a very low starting point) as well as a little more quality and pace to his passing. Yes there is a shed load of square stuff that Saints fans seem to hate, but his touch and passing have been sharp. I thought he had a very good game in Milan for example, really dictating play and moving the game along. Maybe that was a one off. Again, I am not saying he is the answer, but I am still willing to give him more time as he clearly has the first touch to play at this level and perhaps a player without pace needs a fraction more leeway to find his feet and make is way in the modern game.

IMO he was utter garbage against Liverpool, being especially slow and weak in second ball situations, so you're not convincing me with that reply I'm afraid...

Is Classie really a better option?

ouch. Those stats hurt.

If we sign a striker in this window wont that mean we have to offload one, either now or the summer? Four strikers for one position probably ****s our budgeting up. If so, which goes?

Is Tadic better than Fabrice Fernandes'? Now there's a question

do we need to start thinking about a pyramid selling type structure?

very. Maybe winning the league cup will cheer us up...;-)

We spent money. Lack of funds not the issue, we just thought Long, Austin and JRod would do the business.

We could well be, but that doesn't mean it's all down to Puels tactics. Without talent a coach can only do so much.

How is Patrcik Robrts performing at Celtic? I thought he looked a tremendous prospect at Fulham before City signed him and loaned him out.

Won't solve our immediate problems but Ben Brereton is scoring hundreds of goals for Forests youth team I am reliably informed by my brother in law and is the new big thing coming out of their own very good academy.

the wall was four players, it went to the right of the wall where three other players were standing including a Burnley player. The deflection was Forsters undoing, no doubt about it, but that said his limitations, ie not being very nimble are being shown up. He looked incredibly slow to adjust as it flew past him. But that has always been the case. He isn't quick on his feet. He is a big lump that gets in the way of things, which is a fine attribute, but he doesn't stop much that is outside his arc, his footwork when kicking has gone wrong since the bad injury, he ihas always been stuck on his line and now with confidence a little low his handling has looked patchy. A return of confidence will fix some things but not all. Having said all that we have. Made a huge investment in him, so he is going nowhere.

fair point. Very strange signing IMO. dubious injury record and possibly very high wages. Bad combination.

Tadic should have buried the first chance IMO, Remond had a great headed chance in the first half but didn't really connect and VVD header was easier to score from.